Sherlock Holmes: Selected Stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Summary:
This book is really a collection of 12 Short Stories and 1 Novel. The Short Stories are: Silver Blaze: A famous race horse is ‘kidnapped’ and its trainer is killed. The police can’t find the horse, so the inspector decides to call in Holmes who… well, I won’t give away the ending. “Gregory: "Is there any other point to which you would wish to draw my attention? Holmes: "To the curious incident of the dog in the night-time."
Gregory: "The dog did nothing in the night-time."
Holmes: "That was the curious incident."” (“http://www.quotationspage.com”) The Adventure of the Speckled Band: A young Helen Stoner comes to Sherlock Holmes on an early morning and gives him the strange account of her sister’s death, and claims that her life is in danger. Holmes decides to look into the case and discovers some pretty amazing stuff. A Scandal inBohemia: The Prince of Bohemia is about to be married, but he has a dark secret which could ruin him. All he needs is to get a picture from an Irene Alder, who has threatened to use it against him. You’ll have to read the story to find out how she had a change of heart.
Other Short Stories include: The Adventure of the Navel Treaty, The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle, The Greek Interpreter, The Red- Headed League, The Adventure of the Empty House, The Adventure of the Missing Three-Quarter, and His Last Bow.
The Novel in here is The Sign of Four, which is about how these two brothers came to find a treasure. Well, one of them is killed in his room when no one can get to it. Holmes is there when the body is discovered, and almost immediately figures out who it is. It’s just a matter of find them. This is the book where he makes one of his famous lines, “How often have I said to you that when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth?” (“http://www.quotationspage.com”)to Watson
Why is this book on the Outstanding books for the College Bound list?
Think about it. Sherlock Holmes is one of the greatest literary figures of all time. His skill at observing and deducing are amazing. The stories drag you in by his statements, and you’re sometimes left wondering for awhile: how did he figure that out? Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wrote 56 short stories and 4 novels about this famous ‘detective’. Not to mention it is also a TV show and they’ve made movies.
Would I recommend this book?
Yes, but since it is hard to find, I actually got what books were in Sherlock Holmes: Selected Stories and read them out of Sherlock Holmes: The Complete Novels and Stories, so I would recommend you read that one instead. Or, if you prefer, read them separately. The 4 novels are: A Study in Scarlet, The Sign of Four, The Hound of the Baskervilles, and TheValleyofFear. The Stories the contain the Short Stories are: The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, The Return of Sherlock Holmes, His Last Bow, and The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes. There are many other books the have to do with Sherlock Holmes, but these are the original ones the were written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
This book is really a collection of 12 Short Stories and 1 Novel. The Short Stories are:
Silver Blaze: A famous race horse is ‘kidnapped’ and its trainer is killed. The police can’t find the horse, so the inspector decides to call in Holmes who… well, I won’t give away the ending.
“Gregory: "Is there any other point to which you would wish to draw my attention? Holmes: "To the curious incident of the dog in the night-time."
Gregory: "The dog did nothing in the night-time."
Holmes: "That was the curious incident."” (“http://www.quotationspage.com”)
The Adventure of the Speckled Band: A young Helen Stoner comes to Sherlock Holmes on an early morning and gives him the strange account of her sister’s death, and claims that her life is in danger. Holmes decides to look into the case and discovers some pretty amazing stuff.
A Scandal in Bohemia: The Prince of Bohemia is about to be married, but he has a dark secret which could ruin him. All he needs is to get a picture from an Irene Alder, who has threatened to use it against him. You’ll have to read the story to find out how she had a change of heart.
Other Short Stories include: The Adventure of the Navel Treaty, The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle, The Greek Interpreter, The Red- Headed League, The Adventure of the Empty House, The Adventure of the Missing Three-Quarter, and His Last Bow.
The Novel in here is The Sign of Four, which is about how these two brothers came to find a treasure. Well, one of them is killed in his room when no one can get to it. Holmes is there when the body is discovered, and almost immediately figures out who it is. It’s just a matter of find them. This is the book where he makes one of his famous lines, “How often have I said to you that when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth?” (“http://www.quotationspage.com”)to Watson
Why is this book on the Outstanding books for the College Bound list?
Think about it. Sherlock Holmes is one of the greatest literary figures of all time. His skill at observing and deducing are amazing. The stories drag you in by his statements, and you’re sometimes left wondering for awhile: how did he figure that out? Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wrote 56 short stories and 4 novels about this famous ‘detective’. Not to mention it is also a TV show and they’ve made movies.
Would I recommend this book?
Yes, but since it is hard to find, I actually got what books were in Sherlock Holmes: Selected Stories and read them out of Sherlock Holmes: The Complete Novels and Stories, so I would recommend you read that one instead. Or, if you prefer, read them separately. The 4 novels are: A Study in Scarlet, The Sign of Four, The Hound of the Baskervilles, and The Valley of Fear. The Stories the contain the Short Stories are: The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, The Return of Sherlock Holmes, His Last Bow, and The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes. There are many other books the have to do with Sherlock Holmes, but these are the original ones the were written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
Work Cited:
“Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.” Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Quotes-The Quotation Page. Michal Moncur. Nov. 8, 2007. http://www.quotationspage.com/quotes/Sir_Arthur_Conan_Doyle
Doyle, Sir Arthur Conan. Sherlock Holmes: The Complete Novels and Stories Volumes 1 and 2. Batnam Books. New York, New York. © 2003